Nanny Shecando

Supporting the international nanny industry

  • About
  • Blog
    • All Blog Posts
    • The Read Aloud Series
    • Nanny Life
    • ‘How To’ Series
    • DIY + Crafts
    • Nanny Careers Guide
    • Nanny Resources
    • Lifestyle
  • Work With Me
  • Press
    • Press Mentions
    • Nanny Industry Spotlight
  • Nanny Spotlight
  • CONTACT
    • FAQ
    • Disclosure + Policy
  • New Reader? Start Here…
You are here: Home / Nanny Life / More Than Just A Nanny

More Than Just A Nanny

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

more-than-just-a-nanny

I have a special guest on the blog today. Emma from Five Degrees Of Chaos has written a post about ‘the time she hired a nanny to care for the kids’ and how 4 years later that nanny had stolen their hearts! I’ll give you a heads up – you’re going to need tissues!

In fact I was still blubbering this morning when I arrived at work. I was greeted with a frantic Boss Mum searching for her left shoe, a 7-year-old still sporting epic bed hair and Vegemite smudged cheeks, and a cheeky giggling baby who was no doubt the culprit of the missing shoe. For me, I’d just walked into my second family. It’s where I feel at home. It’s where I feel I belong. My love for the kids and my Boss Mum and Dad goes beyond any other nanny job I’ve experienced. Because sometimes, you’re more than just a nanny. You’re family.

——————————————————————————————————————–

More Than Just A Nanny

Emma Fahy Davis

When she first came to interview for the nanny job, I had reservations. She was really young, and I’d been burned by the last one we had who’d panicked and called me out of a meeting the first time the babies cried on her watch. Short on sleep and patience, I’d let that last nanny go the same day and I really wasn’t up for a repeat performance. Twins are hard work, mine perhaps even more so than most. I needed someone competent and reliable.

The funny thing is, while I was sitting there thinking about how young she was, she was actually sitting there thinking how young *I* was –when she first got the job brief for a 4-year old and baby twins she wasn’t expecting to encounter a 25-year old mum!

After calling the agency to double and triple check her references and ensure that yes, they really did think she’d manage fine with the twins, I decided to give her a three-month trial. It didn’t start well – she called in sick the first day and had a fender bender on her way to work the second day. But just as I was about to give up, on the third day she turned up on time and the babies loved her.

Part bridesmaid, part nanny

Part bridesmaid, part nanny

Turns out they have good taste, those babies of mine. Four years later, that nanny, the one I was so skeptical about, would be a bridesmaid at our wedding. Nine months after that, she’d become godmother to our surprise honeymoon baby. Of course, a lot happened over those four years…

When she first started with us, the twins were only five months old. She was there to mop up my tears when our oldest daughter started school, she took care of the girls while I was off giving birth to their baby sister, she sat with me through countless surgeries and hospital admissions when one of the twins became chronically ill, and she was my extra pair of hands and eyes when I was frantically trying to stay afloat with three babies under two.

When I went back to work part time, she’d drop the twins at preschool and bring the baby to me to breastfeed. She’d take them all to Mainly Music, gymbaroo and the park. She spent hours sitting at the twins’ bedsides patting them to sleep, and when they emptied the contents of their dressers onto the floor every day for a week until I moved the drawers out of their room, she sat with them and painstakingly supervised them putting it all back. She folded her own bodyweight in laundry every single week, and she had dinner on the table every single night when I arrived home. I wanted to keep her forever.

But nothing can stay the same forever. Shortly before the twins were to turn 4, we made the decision to move to Australia. I knew she had family and a life and a half-completed degree in New Zealand, but I was only half-joking when I implored her to come with us.

While she’s no longer our nanny and living in different countries has its logistical issues, she’s still very much a part of our lives. When we made the perfectly random decision to get married after twelve years and four children together, she was the first person I called, and the first member of our bridal party (after my sister, I promise!). She counselled me through the shock of that honeymoon pregnancy, even when it meant that I was too sick to travel back to New Zealand for her wedding. And she was the first person I called when our fifth daughter finally made it into my arms (after my mum, I promise!), by which stage she was pregnant with a little girl of her own.

These days, we don’t talk as much as we used to, but when we do talk, it’s as if we just saw each other yesterday. When I see her pop up on Skype, I’ll interrupt whatever I’m working on to give her a call, and the girls are always excited to see her flash up on the computer screen.

You see, despite all those reservations I had in the beginning, it’s clear that she was meant to be our nanny. And somewhere along the way, she became far more than ‘just the nanny’. She became a trusted friend and a much-loved part of our family. We really couldn’t imagine our lives without her in it.

More-than-just-a-nanny

A very special godmother

Do you have a special person caring for your children? Have they become part of the family?

To read more of Emma’s stories and the chaos that is her beautiful family, you can click through to her blog here. Also at Five Degrees Of Chaos, I shared 10 Sanity Savers for a Rainy Day.

This post is linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • Tumblr

Related

«
»

May 20, 2014 By Hope @ Nanny Shecando Filed Under: Nanny Life

Comments

  1. Chantel says

    May 22, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    What a lovely relationship. I believe that everyone comes into our lives for a reason and this story is proof 🙂

    Hello from #teamIBOT

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 23, 2014 at 3:47 pm

      Thanks Chantel, it sure is a special relationship that they’ve forged. Thanks for you comments. Go #teamIBOT!!

      Reply
  2. TeganMC says

    May 21, 2014 at 9:44 pm

    A beautiful story, so great that you were able to find someone who loved your kids as much as you do.

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 23, 2014 at 3:48 pm

      Thanks Tegan, it sure is a rarity and so very special once found. xx

      Reply
  3. Talia Carbis says

    May 21, 2014 at 8:52 pm

    Oh wow, this story gives me goose bumps! I would have really liked to nanny before I got married and had my own kids. 🙂

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 23, 2014 at 3:48 pm

      Thanks Talia! Yep if you’ve got goose bumps then you sure would have been a great intuitive nanny yourself! Thanks for popping over and commenting. xx

      Reply
  4. Claudia says

    May 21, 2014 at 7:26 am

    Beautiful story Hope!

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 21, 2014 at 4:38 pm

      Thanks! xx

      Reply
  5. The Plumbette says

    May 20, 2014 at 9:43 pm

    You always hear the bad stories about nannies but never the good. What a lovely story!

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 21, 2014 at 4:38 pm

      That’s so true. Although I am slowly working to hopefully bring the limelight to the nanny profession and show that there truly are some exceptional nannies out there. Thanks for commenting. xx

      Reply
  6. Money Mummy says

    May 20, 2014 at 8:12 pm

    Gorgeous story, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 21, 2014 at 4:39 pm

      It really is, they’re very lucky to have found her! Thanks for visiting. xx

      Reply
  7. Lauren @ createbakemake says

    May 20, 2014 at 3:03 pm

    Thank you for sharing Emma’s story, she is such an amazing writer x

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 21, 2014 at 4:40 pm

      Yes Emma is an exceptional writer. I always love seeing her blog posts pop into my inbox.

      Reply
  8. EssentiallyJess says

    May 20, 2014 at 2:43 pm

    What a beautiful story. How blessed you are to have met her. xx

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 21, 2014 at 4:41 pm

      They were very blessed Jess, hopefully they can continue to be close despite the continental separation! Thanks for stopping by. xx

      Reply
  9. Emma Fahy Davis says

    May 20, 2014 at 1:01 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing my story Hope, I sent a link to Renata (our nanny) this morning and she loves it xx

    Reply
    • Lauren @ createbakemake says

      May 20, 2014 at 3:02 pm

      What a beautiful and special relationship you both share xx

      Reply
    • Hope says

      May 21, 2014 at 4:41 pm

      No problem Emma, thanks for telling us all about Renata! She sounds positively exceptional. xx (glad she liked it also)

      Reply
  10. Lisa says

    May 20, 2014 at 12:46 pm

    Such a beautiful story. Emma is such a talented writer. x

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 21, 2014 at 4:42 pm

      She sure is Lisa, I’m always impressed with not only the amount of content Emma produces but just how well written every single post is. Thanks for stopping by. xx

      Reply
  11. Melissa Puli says

    May 20, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    How beautiful! Sometimes people come into your life at just the right time and stay with you forever! xoxo

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 21, 2014 at 4:43 pm

      So true Melissa, I often think sometimes it’s just sheer magic and you must make the most of it whilst it’s there. xx

      Reply
  12. bodyandfeetretreat says

    May 20, 2014 at 10:17 am

    We had Margaret who came into our lives 2 weeks after K was born. She was like a second mother to K and it was very hard for us to leave her behind when we left South Africa 7 yrs after she first came into our lives.
    In a few months K is off to Chicago to meet her ‘new’ family – she is going to be an au pair and will live with them for 12-24 months – I hope she fits into her family as well as your nanny did !!
    Have the best day !
    Me

    Reply
    • Hope says

      May 21, 2014 at 4:44 pm

      Thanks for your comment. So glad to hear that you’ve also had good experiences with nannies. Good luck to K on her new adventure! Thanks for stopping by. xx

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Oh, Hi There!

I'm Hope & I help nannies transform their approach to job search, and inspire those working with kids to maximise their potential within the international nanny industry. Plus, did I mention I like crafts + diy, baking & playing! Read More

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Featured Posts

A DIY Velcro No Sew Banner from Dunne with Style

A DIY Velcro No Sew Banner Craft

We received this cute heart-shaped VELCRO ® NO SEW BANNER craft, project designed by Dunne with Style, to feature and review on the blog. Given we love all things craft and DIY, we jumped at the opportunity to review this product. And when there’s Velcro © involved, well we thought it’d be an easy win […]

Make these kid-friendly salt dough necklaces for mother's day by NANNY SHECANDO and A Crafty Living

Salt Dough Necklaces for Mother’s Day

Give Mum a one-of-a-kind Mother’s Day gift with these simple kid-made Salt Dough Necklaces. We’ve teamed up with Olivia over at A Crafty Living to bring you this fun Mother’s Day gift idea. To make use of your extra salt dough, check out Olivia’s salt dough fridge magnets. With Mother’s Day approaching we got crafty […]

How To Make Recycled Egg Carton Mini Easter Egg Baskets with A Crafty Living and Olivia Foster for NANNY SHECANDO

Recycled Egg Carton Mini Easter Egg Baskets

Easter has come early this year! To celebrate our EGG-citement, for a long weekend, family festivities & of course, CHOCOLATE, we made these Mini Easter Egg Baskets! A hands-on, messy craft using just a few supplies from your craft box. These Mini Easter Egg Baskets are a great way to limit your child’s daily chocolate […]

St Patricks Day Fizzing Shamrocks Craft, A Crafty Living, easy kids crafts

St Patrick’s Day Fizzing Shamrocks Craft

We got in the spirit of St Patrick’s Day this week – Fizzing Shamrocks craft anyone? – with this awesome science-meets-art project. Have you ever tried the baking soda & vinegar experiment? This was the first time Mr3 had experienced it. To say he loved it would be an understatement! I didn’t tell him about the […]

Post Categories

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • A DIY Velcro No Sew Banner Craft
  • Salt Dough Necklaces for Mother’s Day
  • Recycled Egg Carton Mini Easter Egg Baskets
  • St Patrick’s Day Fizzing Shamrocks Craft
  • Make These Valentines Day Heart Prints
  • Valentines Day Washi Tape Wall Sticker Love Notes
  • Make This Preschooler DIY Cutting Station
  • Toddler Friendly Easy Kids Christmas Craft
  • The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep Book Review
  • How To Make A Paper Pocket Watch
  • ‘Nanny Life’ Series
  • DIY + Crafts
  • Lifestyle
  • Careers Guide
  • ‘How To’ Series

Copyright © 2025 · NANNY SHECANDO by HOPE FOR NANNIES